SpiderMan: 25486
by dan-yoda
Summary: IN this alternate universe, Chameleon escapes from jail and wants Peter to pay- but not in the way you think.
1. I Am Nothing

SPIDER-MAN: 25486  
BY YODAMAN  
  
Peter Parker, more commonly known as Spider-Man, has not seen good times lately. After several well-fought battles Sergei Kravinoff, a.k.a Kraven, has defeated him. Kraven, trying to prove himself better than Spider-Man, donned Peter's black costume and captured Edward Whelan, a.k.a. Vermin, a villain that Spider-Man could not do without Steve Rogers and his alter ego, Captain America. Peter, furious with what Sergei had done, returned from the grave and attacked Kraven, who did not fight back for he had victory. Kraven eventually release Vermin on the streets, which led to another Spider-Man adventure. The deranged Kraven, convinced he had his victory, took his own life.  
  
This did not sit well with Dmitri Smerdyakov (the master of disguise called the Chameleon), Kraven's childhood friend. After help from Harry Osborne (the current Green Goblin), Dmitri used androids to pose as Peter's parents. Once he found out they were robots, he went berserk and sought to destroy the chameleon. In their final confrontation, Dmitri remembered what really happened in Kraven's home- he was Sergei's manservant and was beaten on a regular basis. Upset with what happened, Dmitri went berserk and was sent to the looney bin. All he does is repeat to him 'I am nothing...'  
  
Meanwhile, Spider-Man had a recent run in with the reptile scientist Curt Connors, a.k.a. the Lizard, and was able to cure Curt and make him human for a temporary time. After the run-in, the police found out and arrested him. His fate lies in the hands of a county councilor, who would love to see the reptile's head hanging on her wall...  
  
ISSUE I  
  
I AM NOTHING  
  
"I am nothing...."cried the man known as Dmitri Smerdyakov. "That's what I am. Nothing. Nothing but Russian trash. I trusted him. We were like brothers! When he died I did everything I could to avenge him! And what does he do to me? Beat me up like an old dishrag! I'm nothing! Nothing! NOTHING!"  
  
"....and that's what he's been doing for the past six months", said Herman Birmingham, a guard of the largest jail in New York. That's how long it had been since he arrived in their station. Six months. Six months since the amazing Spider-Man had brought the elusive Russian criminal to justice. To Herman, this didn't seem like justice. It was torture. Not to Dmitri, but to him and all the other officers and inmates. His wailing the same old lines for half a year now, and it did worse to your brain than drinking all 99 bottles of beer on the wall. Often it was a burden to have to be anywhere near Dmitri, and Herman always got the job on a Monday. Today, however, was a Thursday, and he had the honor of showing Inspector John Jacobs around the department. Jacobs had the high-paying job of visiting all the police departments on the Eastern seaboard, evaluating what he thought about all the police departments he had visited and would send it to the government. The jail was a generally clean establishment, but the Smerdyakov case made it look like a pig rolling around in mud.  
  
"How has he been with other inmates?" asked Jacobs while sketching something down on a notepad.  
  
"Well", said Herman, "that is a problem."  
  
"What kind of a problem?" asked Jacobs.  
  
"He nearly killed his bunkmate", said Herman. "His bunkmate was harassing him about his mental state and Dmitri pounced on the man like a lion. If it wasn't for a friend of mine, that bunkmate would've died, but I would've been glad if he did."  
  
"What did you do about it?"  
  
"We put him in this cell right here, away from all the other inmates. He hasn't had a violet outburst since then, but he does mutter to himself."  
  
"Why does he do that?"  
  
"Something traumatic happened to him in his childhood?"  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"You've gotta as Spider-Man about that! He's the one who brought him in."  
  
"I see".  
  
"My guess is that he was molested as a child. That would get him to do something like that..." Suddenly, there was a loud rattling noise beside the two, who leaped at the loud sound. They found Dmitri, who was shaking the bars of his cell and screaming at the two.  
  
"You know nothing!" exclaimed Dmitri. "You know nothing of my past! Leave! Go play in your little industrialized civilization! Let the demons eat you! They will consume every ounce of flesh that is hugging onto your bodies! The Apocalypse shall come! It shall be your fault! LEAVE AND GO DIE!"  
  
"I told you he's insane", said Herman.  
  
"I've taken enough notes on this Dmitri...."exclaimed John.  
  
"We call him 'the Chameleon'", said Herman. "That's what he was called in his brighter days. His days of crime. It's the least we can do to heal his pain".  
  
"And I thought New York had enough Lizards. Okay, now take me to Zechariahs Black...."  
  
"You mean the Grim Raper? You do not want to see him when he's happy..." The two walked away from the cell to see another infamous inmate, but Herman knew in his heart that nothing would ever stop that screaming  
  
"I am nothing!" exclaimed Dmitri. "But it is they who disturb the peace! They mock me, make me look like a damaged machine that need repairing. They dare say things like that! But I am nothing. Doesn't that make what they say true? It is not! That is not what happened! They know nothing! Why are they so cruel? Why can't they let me die? That's all I want! To die! To end this misery! Please, God! End this pain! PLEASE!"  
  
"Quit all that whining!" said an unknown voice in his cell. "You sound like a young child, crying to mommy when you fell on the ground and got a boo-boo".  
  
"Show yourself!" exclaimed Dmitri. "Where are you? Why do you torment me so? QUIT MESSING WITH MY MIND!"  
  
"And that was supposed to be what you were so good at", said the voice. Suddenly, Dmitri was inside a large sewer instead of his cell, and standing in front of him was some strange man with green skin, wearing a purple shirt with purple gloves, purple boots, and even a purple hat.  
  
"Who are you?" asked Dmitri. "Why are you here! Where am I? What is this place? Get me back to where I was dammit!"  
  
"Quit saying your thoughts out loud!", exclaimed the green man. "It gets annoying!"  
  
"I can't help it," exclaimed Dmitri. "Tell me who you are!"  
  
"Remember me?" said the green man. "Suddenly, he grabbed his face and pulled on it, showing his real face underneath. "I'm Harry Osborne, but you might just call me the Green Goblin. I'm the one who helped you with the androids, remember?"  
  
"Yes...." sighed Dmitri. Suddenly, his mind began to clear. He could think! And he could remember the past! He hadn't felt like this before. It was almost a revelation. "I remember. You built androids of the parents of Peter Parker so I could lure him into my trap. But it didn't work. It's your entire fault! You're the one who messed up! If you could've just done one hell of a lot better job, it would've worked and I wouldn't be here!"  
  
"Calm down, now", shouted Harry. "It'll do you no good. Now, I did the best job I could, and if that's not dandy enough for you, then I can just send you back to that cage and you can wallow in your misery for the rest of your life."  
  
"But you're dead!" exclaimed Dmitri. "You died back in 1993! It's been years since then!"  
  
"Yes", hissed Harry. "But there's no stopping me then, is there? I came back to help you. I realized I played a part in your pain, and I couldn't stand to see you suffer like this for much longer."  
  
"Why do you contaminate yourself for being with me?" asked Dmitri. "I am nothing! I am filth! Leave before it's too late!"  
  
"Open your mind before it's too late!" yelled Harry. "Don't you talk to yourself like that! You aren't nothing. You have a gift. A gift to be anyone you want to be. You used to use that gift to your advantage. That's exactly what you can do now! How, do you ask? Who is the one who brought you this pain? Who is the one who made you relive your childhood memories?"  
  
"Sp...Spider-Man?" pinched Dmitri.  
  
"Bingo!" exclaimed Harry while slapping his hand on Dmitri's shoulder. "You got it! Spider-Man did all this. Without Spider-Man you wouldn't know those memories! You'd be happy, and you'd be as far away from this prison as you desire. What does someone like that deserve?"  
  
"Death!" exclaimed Dmitri. This talk was really stimulating his mind. He hadn't felt like that in ages! He would finally feel some joy- by killing Spider-Man! "But how?"  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"How will I kill Spider-Man? Every other guise I've used hasn't worked!"  
  
"You are great with playing with minds? Use some brainpower! What does Spider-Man love?"  
  
"His silly costume?"  
  
"Hs wife you dumb nut! He loves his wife! What would he do if you took his wife?"  
  
"He'd want her back".  
  
"Exactly! But what will he do to get her back?"  
  
"He'd fight me to get her."  
  
"Yes! But you don't have to do the fighting! You could have someone else. Someone like...HIM!" Suddenly, Dmitri whipped his head around and saw a large, reptilian shape running in the sewer water, running as if he were being chased by a pack of wolves. Suddenly, Dmitri had an idea. He laughed. He laughed since he hadn't had an idea in so long. He laughed at the fact that Spider-Man would die. Harry was gone, however, and he was back in his cell, but he still laughed. Blood would shed soon. Very soon. 


	2. A Day with the Gators

ISSUE 2  
  
A DAY WITH THE GATORS  
  
Two armed police guards escorted Doctor Curt Connors to a large, glass room inside the police station, where he was made to sit down. Sitting in front of him was a middle-aged woman, complete with black hair, a business suit, and at least fifty pounds worth of papers, most likely about Curt's past. After his latest run-in with Spider-Man, Curt was caught by the police and taken in for the destruction he caused as the Lizard. He had spent three days in jail, but they still had to send him to court and deal with all the technical stuff and blah blah blah, but Curt knew he would be guilty. Whenever a crocodile ate a child, people would kill about twenty crocodiles just to find the one crocodile that ate the damn kid, who probably deserved what he/she got for swimming in a gator infested river.  
  
"So your name is Curtis Connors", said the woman. "And you're a doctor?"  
  
"Call me Curt", said Curt. "And yes, I am a doctor."  
  
"But you're one of the world's best herpetologist", said the woman. "Don't tell me you have a clinic just for lizards."  
  
"I was a surgeon", said Curt. "But I lost my arm in the Korean War. Maybe you can start by telling me your name?"  
  
"I am Councilor Angela Baxter", said the woman, "and I am you're only hope for returning to your normal life. I love to hunt."  
  
"Do you?"  
  
"Yes. Especially Gators. I wouldn't mind having the head of a large, humanoid gator hanging on my wall, so if you don't behave that will be your fate". Curt grimaced at her comment. So a woman who loved to destroy his kind for no apparent reason was either trying to get Curt out of jail or into jail. And Curt thought the Santa Claus legend was outrageous.  
  
"Fine with me".  
  
"So, Connors, did you continue to be a surgeon after you lost your arm?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because it was so damn difficult!" The remark generated some chuckles, but Angela remained as cold as a stone.  
  
"What did you do once you quit your job?"  
  
"I didn't quit. The military forced me out".  
  
"I see". Angela then took out a piece of paper and began to scribble down some notes, which seemed suspicious to Curt. "So what was your next occupation?"  
  
"I earned a degree in science and began to study herpetology."  
  
"So you leaped from the science of medicine to the science of Lizards. What changed your mind? They are so very different."  
  
"I noticed how some lizards are able to regenerate limbs that they have lost. I thought I might be able to develop a serum that allowed humans to do the same".  
  
"Starfish have been known to do the same. Why lizards?"  
  
"When starfish loose limbs, Angela, their lost limb creates a whole starfish. I didn't want another me walking around the earth!" There were some chuckles in the background, but Angela looked really angry.  
  
"Okay, that's a point off".  
  
"I thought this was a psyche evaluation. I didn't know this was Jeopardy!"  
  
"Enough. So you wanted to make a serum based on reptilian DNA so that you can grow your arm back, correct?"  
  
"Partly. Not only did I want my arm to grow back, but also I thought that I might be able to generate a brain or a heard or something like that for medicinal purposes. It would've been a medical marvel."  
  
"And did it work?" There was silence for several seconds. Curt had never told anyone, except Spider-Man, of his alter ego. Somehow these policemen knew, so he would have to tell the councilor.  
  
"I took the prototype serum. I was fine for several days, until my skin started to harden and scales broke out all over my body like hives. Before I knew it was a massive, green Lizard. I told my wife and kid to leave but they didn't listen. I tried to develop a counter to the serum but my brain was too dulled for me to do anything. I wrote my family a note, telling them goodbye, and I went off into the everglades."  
  
"And what did you do there?"  
  
"I acted like a crocodile, killing animals for food and thrashing at people whenever they walked into my territory."  
  
"Did you kill any people who crossed into your territory?"  
  
"I don't remember".  
  
"Were any of the animals you killed endangered?  
  
"I don't remember".  
  
"How did you get out of this mess? You're human now, are you not?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"So how did you get that way?"  
  
"On a dare from John Jonah Jameson, the editor of the Daily Bugle, Spider-Man traveled to Florida and battled me. I nearly killed him, but he escaped to my old home."  
  
"Why did you try to kill him?"  
  
"For one thing he was in my territory. My son, Billy, tried to find my, but Spider-Man took him away from me, since he thought I would kill my son."  
  
"Would you?"  
  
"If my brain is dulled enough, maybe".  
  
"What happened when your brain was dulled the most? Or do you not remember?"  
  
"This may seem silly to you, but I tried to pour my serum into the Everglades to make all the Lizards there look like me". No one in the room chuckled, which surprised Curt. Angela even opened her mouth in an 'o' shape.  
  
"This is serious. This is almost a matter of national security".  
  
"Well, Spider-Man developed a counter serum which turned me back, so that never happened."  
  
"But what if it happens again?"  
  
"I moved to New York so it wouldn't".  
  
"But what about the alligators in the sewers?"  
  
"That's a myth".  
  
"That's what many people think about the Lizard. So, Curt, how did you turn into the Lizard this time? Did you take the serum again?"  
  
"No. Whenever I get stressed, I turn into him. That one time was like any other time- work was bad, traffic was horrible, my son got some awful cold, and my wife had to go to some club meeting, so I had to make dinner and take care of the house. Thus I turned into him, ravaged a few buildings, and was saved by Spider-Man."  
  
"How many times has this happened?" Curt was silent. "Hello?"  
  
"At least fifty".  
  
"That was all I needed to hear". Angela then turned to the policemen and began to talk about the session, when all of a sudden Curt saw Peter standing right next to him.  
  
"You shouldn't be here", said Curt. "They might see you".  
  
"All I have to do is jump on the wall and get out the way I came in", said Peter. "How do you know of my other identity? The one who crawls walls."  
  
"One time", said Curt, "When I was fighting you, I ripped up your costume- especially the mask. I didn't see all of your face, but I knew it looked a lot like someone in 10:30 science". Peter snickered. Curt guessed he never knew how Curt knew that he was also Spider-Man.  
  
"What are they doing to you?" asked Peter.  
  
"Some bitch of a councilor is asking questions", said Curt. "She told me she wanted to hang my lizard head on her wall. Some councilor she is."  
  
"Yup", said Peter. "Sorry about all this. I know it's my..."  
  
"No", said Curt. "It's my fault. It's my fault that I took that serum all those years ago."  
  
"Technically, it's the government's fault for sending you to Korea..."  
  
"I volunteered, Peter".  
  
"Oh. Well, it's the Korean Army's fault for blowing your arm off."  
  
"I don't blame them. They were just defending their country."  
  
"Well, it's..."  
  
"Quit blaming people. I have no one to blame but myself". Suddenly, Angela whipped her body around, but before Curt could blink an eye Peter was on the ceiling and probably already out of the building.  
  
"The court will decide your fate in a couple of days", said Angela. "I already have a guess what they're going to say". 


	3. The Deliverer or Justice

ISSUE III  
  
THE DELIVERER OF JUSTICE  
  
Peter Parker, riding his motorized scooter, was riding on his way to Broadway to see the Lord of the Rings musical, something that Peter was very fond of because he loved the books and the movies. The only reason he went to see the play was that his wife, Mary Jane Parker, was playing Arwen in the play. Peter was so proud of her for getting the star female role, although she insisted that it was no big deal, for the play mainly concerned the Fellowship of the Ring and their exploits. He had left half an hour early for the play, since traffic was awful, and so he could get some flowers and chocolates. He made sure he wore his nicest suit with the most expensive tie, and he got his ticket in advance.  
  
He got a box of chocolates, he got a bouquet of roses, but the one thing that caught his eye was the latest issue of the Daily Bugle. He wasn't interested by the headline, which blared in red and blue letters 'Spider-Man is a Menace- And This Time We Have Proof!" A man off the street stated that he saw Spider-Man steal a man's pizzas, which was a lie (Peter web slinged home because his pizza was getting cold). However, on the right hand corner it said 'Scientist Goes to Hospital- Page 4", so Peter bought a copy. Peter zoomed on in his motorized scooter and zoomed towards to the stage, where he handed in a ticket and found a seat.  
  
Once he sat down, Peter immediately opened his newspaper to page 4, which had something that Peter wanted to know about- the fate of Curt Connors. Peter felt somewhat guilty for Curt's capture by the police. Curt hadn't done anything major- just ripped up a shack with his tail and bent some light posts when he Spider-Man fought. Curt had defiantly done worse. Unlike all the other villains he encountered, Peter felt sorry for Curt. It was like expelling a mentally disabled child when he picked on a fight when he got teased. It was just something that he couldn't avoid.  
  
However, Peter was glad to learn that they didn't give Curt the death penalty or life in prison- he would be forced to spend two years in a mental institution, and they would add another two if he behaved poorly. Peter was glad to hear this. However, another article entitled 'Prisoner Escapes Prison', but he was forced to put the paper away once the show started. It followed the course of the book properly, with an okay cast, an enhanced version of the Howard Shore music in the background, and had some swinging songs. However, Peter didn't think that the songs really fit. It just made it seem sillier.  
  
"As if Frodo would start signing the second he woke up in Rivendell", thought Peter. Suddenly, right after Aragorn was singing a song about the Shards of Narsil, the setting changed to a bridge somewhere in the Elven city, looming over a river. Standing on the bridge was actor Billy Smith, the man who played Aragorn in the play, and Mary Jane, who obviously played Arwen. Peter clapped once he saw Mary Jane, although he was met with several stares from the audience. Once Peter took a good look at her, he grimaced, for she wore a wig that transformed her short, red hair into long, black hair. However, Peter didn't care. He just wanted to see his wife act.  
  
"Do you remember the first time we met?" asked Mary Jane.  
  
"Oh yes", said Billy. "I remember." Suddenly, the two broke out in song instead of talking normally. The song chronicled the romantic conversation that Aragon and Arwen had where Arwen gave up her immorality, but it was a lot less moving as a song. Peter just wished he could run out of the theatre and scream, but Mary Jane wouldn't like that. The play went on, with the characters singing at every scene. The play chronicled all three novels, so Peter took several Aspirins while watching the tree hour show. At the end, Samwise Gamgee, played by some unknown actor, said he was back, which Peter knew was the end and he was excited for it to be over. However, he then broke out into song, singing about being back, before the play ended.  
  
Peter was ecstatic when the play ended. The ending was the best part of the whole play for Peter, just because it was over with and done. He didn't have enough time to burn, however, for he ran to Mary Jane.  
  
"Was I good?" asked Mary Jane, who ripped off her silly wig.  
  
"You were the best thing about the play", said Peter.  
  
"Really?" asked Mary Jane. "Was my voice good?"  
  
"Your voice was like the song of a Bluejay on a clean, spring day", said Peter. M.J. didn't seem impressed, however.  
  
"Oh, stop it", sighed M.J. "I have to get changed. Then we can talk."  
  
"Okay", said Peter. "I'll just wait outside with the ushers". Peter then walked out of a theatre with a smile on his face, for he would now spend some quality time with M.J. However, there was someone really close to Peter who was smiling also, for he would also have some quality time with M.J.  
  
Dmitri Smerdyakov ran out of the theater all ecstatic. He finally knew where and how to strike at Peter. He had his costume at the ready, which would take less than a minute to put on, and his mind was finally free of his negative emotions, which temporarily drove him insane.  
  
Shortly after his 'special' visit from Harry Osborne, he had thought up a way of how to escape. He was silent those few days when he was brainstorming. All of the guards were relieved, but they were also concerned. They figured that he might be planning a way to get out of the looney bin, but they would never guess how! One day, a guard who wore classes walked by, and Dmitri tripped him on purpose. The glasses broke and the guard got mad, but Dmitri was screaming at him like he was still inane again. The guard, however, didn't notice Dmitri pick up the glass pieces of his broken bifocals. In the middle of the night, when the guards were nearly asleep, Dmitri cut himself up in several places and disposed of the glass, causing his cell to flood with blood. It was painful for him, but it was necessary to give Spider-Man the justice he deserved.  
  
Once the sun rose and the doctors saw the blood, they panicked. After examining his body, they sent him to the nurse's center for further inspection. However, the doctor was on lunch break or something, so he was able to escape out the window and run as far away as possible from the police station. He quickly found his way to his old hideout, which was still intact but was infested with cobwebs and smelled like rat urine. But this was his place, the one place he felt comfortable in- the one place that he constructed his costumes. Using a picture he found in an older Daily Bugle, he began to build the Lizard costume. That process took about a week and a half, but when it was completed, it was pure masterpiece.  
  
In the end, it looked as if Dmitri had skinned the great reptile himself and was about to put the scaly hide on. Unfortunately, the tail couldn't be used as a whip-like weapon like the actual Lizard's, but it still looked realistic when Dmitri ran around in it. The claws he used were really dull metal, and since he didn't have a knife sharpener and certainly couldn't get one, he would just have to punch the hell out of anyone who resisted him. The Chameleon was on the hunt, and he would get his prey- not matter who stood in the way. 


	4. Retribution

CHAPTER IV  
  
RETRIBUTION  
  
Mary Jane immediately ran from downstage, where she was talking to Peter, to her dressing room, where she would take of the uncomfortable yet beautiful costume she wore for the wedding scene in the play. 'Your voice was like the song of a Bluejay on a clean, spring day'... could Peter do any worse? She smiled nevertheless, for he was suck a sweet man, one that was worth her hand in marriage.  
  
The only reason she did the play was that she might get recognition for playing the role in a popular play, further increasing her chances of getting further roles in the future. She was against how they treated Tolkien's story, but still, it would be a popular play.  
  
Suddenly, she heard a hissing sound behind her. She looked at the floor to see if any snakes were there, but she found none. The hissing continued, and she backed up against the wall as she finished putting her clothes on.  
  
"Heather?" cried Mary Jane. "Stacy? Is anyone there?"  
  
"No one but you", hissed a strange voice, "and me". The voice sounded like poisoned honey to Mary Jane- it was sweet, yet was deadly and chilled her bones.  
  
"Show yourself" exclaimed Mary Jane. She then grabbed a hand mirror near her and held it up to her face like it was a sword or a large dagger. "I'm not afraid to use force".  
  
"You think that small object will hurt me?" laughed the sickly voice. "I think not".  
  
"I'll call the police if you don't leave me alone right now", exclaimed Mary Jane. She was scared, of course. A strange voice that was atypical to horror movies was looming over her room. Who would not be afraid?  
  
"You haven't even seen me yet!" hissed the voice. "Or maybe you would like to glimpse me now?" Suddenly, Mary Jane heard a loud pitter-patter of a sharp object striking the floor, and before she could open the door and run out she saw a large, green object leaping at her. No one was safe now.  
  
After the show, Peter waited for Mary Jane to come out. He didn't know how long it took her to get out of the silly Elven costume, but it was sure taking forever. He had been waiting for fifteen minutes when he noticed the theatre was free of any people, except for the ushers who were staring at him.  
  
"No", said one of the ushers, "we don't give out free popcorn after the show".  
  
"That's not why I'm here", said Peter.  
  
"Then why are you?" asked another.  
  
"I'm waiting for my wife to get done in the dressing room", said Peter. "Her name's Mary Jane Watson-Parker. She played Arwen in the play..."  
  
"Yes", said one of the ushers. "I know. What did you think of the play?"  
  
"It was silly", laughed Peter, and the ushers chuckled. "But it was good silliness."  
  
"I think your wife did good", said an usher. "One of the best we have".  
  
"If not the best", said another.  
  
"Thanks!" beamed Peter. He loved to hear people review his wife's performance in such a wonderful way. Almost every single time she was reviewed it was a positive one, except for a couple of times when the reviewers were expecting a Cate Blanchet performance instead of a good stage actress's performance. He rarely heard that good a review.  
  
"She was worried about her singing ability", laughed Peter. "She almost got ulcers from trying to perfect her voice."  
  
"She shouldn't have", said one of the ushers. "She has a mighty fine voice."  
"Ditto", said the other usher. Peter smiled at the comment, embracing all the positive reviews, when suddenly his spider sense started tingling. Somehow, he starting thinking of Mary Jane, and suddenly he heard a scream he knew all too well- the voice of Mary Jane.  
  
"MARY JANE!" yelled Peter. Before the ushers could do anything he ran as fast as he could towards the stage, trying not to give his alter ego away. He saw some signs that led the way to the dressing room and he sped as fast as he could up the stairs. He looked at each of the signs on the door, and once he saw the one entitled 'Mary Jane Parker' he tried to open the door, but it was locked. Then, with all his spider strength, he burst the door open and found a very strange figure holding Mary Jane the way vampires held the damsels when they were about to suck their blood.  
  
"Drop the girl right now!" yelled Peter. At first he thought the villain was Morbius, the wicked vampire and enemy of Blade, but once the head crept up, he found out who it truly was- Curt Connors, a.k.a. the Lizard.  
  
"You gave me away to the police!" yelled the Lizard. "You sold me! After all these years of treating me like a friend, you spit in my face and throw me in the mud! You do not deserve mercy from me!" Peter was confused by this display of emotion. First, Curt said he didn't care about the police incident the day before. Second of all, the voice sounded kind of different. However, Mary Jane was in trouble, and nothing mattered to Peter but her safety. He leaped at Curt, who threw a large piece of wood at Peter, who quickly brushed it off. However, Curt, still clutching the squealing Mary Jane, burst out of the room and made a run for it.  
  
"That's odd", thought Peter. "Curt normally would've blasted through the roof. But M.J's in trouble. I have to save her!" While running like a madman escaping from jail, Peter ripped off his clothes to reveal his Spider-Man costume, and as he put his trademark mask on he saw the Lizard run into a certain room. He tried to open the door, but it was locked. He heard several ear-piercing screams from inside the room.  
  
"I'M COMING M.J!" yelled Peter. With one great burst of strength he burst open the door. He found no Curt, but what he found instead shocked him to the very core- the bloody body of Mary Jane.  
  
"Peter...." Cried Mary Jane. "Peter..."  
  
"It's okay, Mary Jane", sobbed Peter. "I'm here".  
  
"It's wasn't...." spat Mary Jane. "It wasn't..."  
  
"It wasn't who?" asked Peter. "Who didn't do what?"  
  
"Oh, Peter...."whimpered Mary Jane. "I'm so sorry...." Suddenly, her body collapsed and Peter could no longer feel any air pass through her lips. Peter then took off the mask, buried his head into her beautiful body, and cried his eyes out. The love of his life was gone, and would never come back. 


	5. The Sweet Kiss of Death

ISSUE v  
  
THE SWEET KISS OF DEATH  
  
Shortly after the incident in the theatre, Peter took off his Spider- Man costume and called the hospital. Not only the ambulances, came, but so did the police. The ambulance immediately took M.J. and sped their way to the hospital, while Peter answered the questions of the police. They asked him what happened, and he told them that he came back from work to pick her up and he saw her lying dead on the floor. They asked him a ton of trivial questions like where did he work, what kind of car did he have, and how long they have been married. Peter told the police the truth and nothing but the truth, so they let him go.  
  
However, when the police interrogated the ushers, they too told the truth and nothing but the truth, which was bad for Peter. Once the ushers told the police that they saw Peter run into the dressing rooms once he heard her scream, he zoomed out of the theatre and web slinged to the hospital where M.J. would stay.  
  
Once he arrived and got out of the spider suit, he ran inside the hospital. There, once he arrived inside, he saw five doctors zooming M.J., who was lying on a rolling hospital bed, inside an emergency room.  
  
"MARY JANE!" yelled Peter. He ran towards the zooming bed, but one of the doctors stepped in front of him so he couldn't go into the emergency room.  
  
"I'm sorry sir", said the doctor. "You cannot interfere with the procedure."  
  
"BUT THAT'S MY WIFE!" yelled Peter.  
  
"I am sorry, sir", said the doctor. "We're doing the only operation that could possibly save her life at the moment. I don't need your pleas."  
  
"But let me at least hold her hand!" yelled Peter. He was really angry now. She might possibly pass away while they were operating on her, if she hadn't already died! He wanted to be with her the last moments she breathed.  
  
"If you want your wife to live, you will step back", said the doctor.  
  
"NO!" yelled Peter. Without thinking he grabbed the doctor and threw her back several feet. He ran as fast as he could to the emergency room he saw the doctors roll M.J. into, and once the door burst open, he saw five doctors all huddling around her.  
  
"She's going into a state of shock", said a doctor.  
  
"She's having a spasm!" yelled a doctor.  
  
"Get me the defibrillator right now!" yelled a doctor. Suddenly, the doctor began to shock her with the strange, circular devices, but the effect on them was much worse that what began.  
  
"She's having even more spasms!" yelled one doctor.  
  
"I don't thing there's much more we can do", yelled another.  
  
"NOOOOOO!" yelled Peter. They couldn't just abandon her! They had to save her! They were doctors. That was their job. They weren't supposed to just let her die! He ran up to her to try to ease her pain since the doctors weren't doing anything, and he held her hand.  
  
"It's okay", said Peter. "I'm here." However, she didn't seem to listen, for her spasms continued.  
  
"Step away from the patient, young man!" yelled a doctor. Peter didn't give a damn about the doctors. He stroked her forehead, hoping that it might ease her pain. However, with one final stroke, she began to gasp for air like a fish out of water.  
  
"MARY JANE!" yelled Peter. Suddenly, a long, beeping noise came from the equipment, which signaled something to him- she was dead. Mary Jane was dead. Gone. Never to be seen again. He could never see one of her plays, run his fingers through her long, red hair, or embrace her body at the sight of her beautiful curves. She was no more.  
  
"She's passed away, young man", said one of the doctors. "There's nothing you can do, now."  
  
"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" yelled Peter at the very utmost top of his lungs. The doctors, scared by his outburst of pain, walked away from the emergency room. Peter buried his face into her body and cried into her body. She couldn't be dead. That was impossible. Uncle Ben was brutally murdered by a car jacker. Aunt May passed away. And now Curt Connors, someone who he had considered a good friend, lied to him and destroyed his largest source of happiness? Something like that couldn't be tolerated. Something like that deserved punishment. Not a Punisher style punishment, though. A good, Spider-Man punishment, and that is no good news for anyone who stands in his way. 


	6. Visit from Beyond

ISSUE VI  
  
VISIT FROM BEYOND  
  
Curt Connors awoke one morning in his medium-sized room by the ringing of a bell, which signaled it was time to eat. His room inside Kathryn's Asylum for Special Individuals reminded him of the interrogation rooms he saw on 'Law and Order'- medium sized, full of space, and made out of glass so everyone could see you. However, he enjoyed the large establishment. The people were friendly, but they were too friendly. The food was good, but the meals were small. His inmates were nice, but a little on the special side. However, it was better than jail.  
  
"You shouldn't go out of the room by yourself", said Jeremy Smitts, an Asian man who helped out with the asylum.  
  
"I'm a scientist", said Curt. "I think I can handle opening my front door and walking out."  
  
"Then why are you here?" asked Jeremy.  
  
"If I told you", said Curt, "I'd have to kill you". Shocked by his comment, Jeremy quickly began to help another attendee while Curt sat down at the mess hall. Curt wasn't hungry at the moment, so he began to watch the other people. Besides, watching them was more entertaining than eating Rice Crispies anyway. One of the attendees, who was a hunchback, was banging on his table with a toy hammer while one of the workers ran up to him and told him to stop it. Another man, who suffered from turrets, was building a house out of playing cards.  
  
"I wish life was that simple for me", thought Curt. "Not having to worry about a dying wife, a young kid, and a..." Suddenly, before he could finish his sentence, the window in the room he was in broke open, and several people screamed as glass flew about the room like leaves during a hurricane. Unexpectedly, he heard a thump on his table, and he looked up to see a shape he hadn't expected to see in a while- the shape of Spider-Man.  
  
"You killed my wife", said Peter in a deep, angry voice. "Prepare to die".  
  
"WHAT!" exclaimed Curt when he heard Peter accuse him of killing his wife? Not only did it seem like utter silliness to Curt, but also it was just impossible. How could he kill his wife when he was still in the asylum? Hell, he even went to Peter's wedding. What motivation would cause him to do such a thing?  
  
"Don't treat me like one of your lab rats", yelled Peter, who grabbed Curt and jerked him up towards him. "Or should I say lab geckos?"  
  
"Why would I do such a thing?" chocked Curt.  
  
"You're a liar and a cheat, that's why", said Peter. "You told me you weren't' mad at me! You told me you would be fine in the asylum! And guess what? You destroyed her!"  
  
"I did not do anything of the sort", chocked Curt.  
  
"LIAR!" yelled Peter. He then threw back Curt several feet, who smashed through several tables and finally stopped when he hit a wall.  
  
"I think you are making a big mistake," muttered Curt, who began to walk closer.  
  
"Oh well!" yelled Peter. "You'll die anyway."  
  
"Then you shall fall with me!" yelled Curt. Suddenly, he began to charge towards Peter, and with one great leap he landed upon Peter, causing him to fall down. Once Peter saw what was on top of him, he knew he was expecting trouble- Curt had transformed into the Lizard.  
  
Peter then used his strength to throw Curt of him, but once he spun a back in control, Curt was too. Curt swished his long, iguana like tail around destroying several of the tables and ruining the house of cards in the process. Peter, who jumped like he was playing jump rope, was able to dodge the tail. He shot some web, which encircled the tail. He tried to yank Curt, but every single time he yanked, Curt wouldn't move a millimeter.  
  
"Puny warmblood!" yelled Curt. With one flick of his tail he sent Peter flying, who broke through the wall and was now lying in the streets. Curt ran after Peter, but he spun his web around a nearby fire hydrant and sent the water splashing in Curt's face. While he was wriggling around like a worm, Peter leaped on the wall and began to crawl up. Before he knew it, some force sent him smashing through the wall. When he was back on his feet, he saw that Curt leaped up behind him and that caused them to cave in. Peter then realized they were in the kitchen, but he didn't have time to check out the scenery. Curt hissed and began to flicker his tail around, but Peter had a plan in mind.  
  
"Come here, little fleshie", hissed Curt. "I don't bite- I maul."  
  
"Is that what you said when you destroyed Mary Jane?" yelled Peter. Suddenly, he grabbed one of the butcher knives, and before Curt could move he jabbed it into his side. Unfortunately for Peter, the knife just snapped on contact with the scaly skin, and Curt just smiled a big, reptilian, toothy smile.  
  
"I shall enjoy killing you, warmblood!" yelled Curt.  
  
"Well, my friendly neighborhood coldblood", said Peter. "You could just kiss your big, scaly ass goodbye". Suddenly, Peter shot some web at Curt, which hit directly into his eye. While Curt was jumping around, screaming at the pain his eye was in, Peter grabbed a frying pan, which was red hot from being in a flame for so long. Peter then began to beat on Curt with the frying pan, which began to wallow in ever more misery. Peter enjoyed the pain as much as he enjoyed M.J's sweet touch. How dare a lowly reptile destroy a creature of such beauty, who did no crime other than have her heart won by the world's greatest vigilante?  
  
"STOP!" yelled Curt. Somehow, unlike all the other cried Curt had made that day, this one sounded different than all the rest- it sounded human. Peter dropped the burning pan at that comment, and flipped his body around. Curt's body began to look more and more human with each passing second, but it was his eyes that took Peter away- they looked wounded, shocked, and most of all, deeply sad. "Please! Don't do it. Think of Billy! And Martha! Would you orphan a child and make a wife a widow? Just for revenge?" Peter contemplated what Curt had said and took off his mask so he could breathe easier. Curt had shown no mercy no mercy when he killed Mary Jane! He made him a widow, all just for revenge? Why should Peter care? Why should Peter treat the man who brought him so much pain any different?"  
  
"Because you would be just like the villain himself", said a voice in his head. Somehow, out of nowhere, Peter noticed that he was in a room that was all white, but he was sitting inside an old, reddish car. The man in the driver's seat was someone familiar, someone that Peter knew to be dead- his Uncle Ben.  
  
"But he killed Mary Jane!" yelled Peter, whose anger out powered his excitement in seeing his long-dead uncle again.  
  
"Just because Hitler destroyed millions of Jews", said his Uncle in a sad tone, "do you destroy millions of Germans?" Uncle Ben did have a point, Peter thought. If you are destroying someone for doing something bad, then wouldn't you be bad for doing the same to him?  
  
"What do I do?" asked Peter. "He claims he's innocent."  
  
"Do you believe him?" asked Uncle Ben.  
  
"No!" yelled Peter. "And there's no way to know!"  
  
"Actually", said Uncle Ben, who leaned a little closer towards Peter, "There is".  
  
"How?" asked Peter. He was really interested in finding out how there was a way to tell if someone was lying. "I hope you don't mean a lie detector..."  
  
"No, no, no", laughed his Uncle. "Do you think that Curt Connors killed your wife?"  
  
"YES!" exclaimed Peter.  
  
"Why?" asked Uncle Ben. "What proof do you have that he did it?"  
  
"I saw him taking her!" exclaimed Peter. "I saw him capture Mary Jane. I even tried to stop him, but nothing I could do worked."  
  
"Appearances can be deceiving", said Uncle Ben.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Peter.  
  
"Did you actually see Curt transform into he Lizard and take your wife's life?"  
  
"No, but I saw him."  
  
"By him, do you mean Curt or the Lizard?"  
  
"The Lizard."  
  
"How clearly did you see him?"  
  
"Not very clearly..."  
  
"Was his behavior different than normal?"  
  
"Why are you defending him! He's a murderer!"  
  
"Just believe me, Peter, I know these things..."  
  
"So do I! Why don't you just leave me alone and deal with it!" Then, Peter got his wish. He was back in the small, dark kitchen with Curt, who was now a human.  
  
"What are you doing?" asked Curt. Peter just left Curt there and swung out of the kitchen. He knew who did it- and justice would be delivered once and for all. 


	7. The Last Deception

ISSUE VII  
  
THE LAST DECEPTION  
  
Dmitri, upon returning from the theatre, immediately took off his costume, put it away (in case he would need it again) and, for the first time in several months, relaxed. He tricked Parker into thinking Curt Connors killed Mary Jane Watson-Parker, actually was able to kill the woman for added dramatic effect, and escaped without his identity being given away. He was content, and would be for several months. All this was thanks to the spirit of Harry Osborne, a man he would be grateful for in the many coming years.  
  
He decided to turn on the news with his old, rusting TV to see what was going on in the world, for it was five O'clock and could see all the daily murders. Surprisingly, this day's news was set in the nice setting of Kathryn's Asylum for Special Individuals, which looked a little more disheveled than it normally looked.  
  
"Today's latest update is a rather surprising update", said newscaster Indy Daimonji of Empire 1 News. "During the early breakfast hour of this quiet and friendly mental institution, famous vigilante Spider-Man supposedly broke in and tried to kill Curt Connors, who strangely transformed into a giant lizard."  
  
"This is good", said Dmitri. "Very good. If he could just finish Spider-Man off, my mission would be complete. Please saw Spider-Man was destroyed, PLEASE!"  
  
"They supposedly had a really rough battle", said Indy, "but in the end Spider-Man abandoned Connors and the debacle was over".  
  
"WHAT!" exclaimed Dmitri. "This can't be right. The Lizard was supposed to destroy Peter! Maybe I could do something more with the costume..."  
  
"Shortly after Spider-Man left", continued Indy, "Curt Connors was gunned down by a lone policeman by the name of Dominick Anderson, who now faces charges of manslaughter. He is responsible for widowing Curt's wife, who is dying from cancer, and his young son..."  
  
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" yelled Dmitri. He then smashed his hand through the TV, and suddenly began to hyperventilate. "This can't be! Peter was supposed to be obsessed with his revenge! He was supposed to die in the process! But he didn't! This can't be happening!"  
  
"Yes", said a voice from above, "it can." Before he could blink or even think about whom was talking to him, Peter Parker, clad in his Spider- Man suit, leaped from the ceiling. Dmitri was too scared and too shocked to do anything, so he didn't blow any punches or fire any firearms like Peter's other archenemies. Peter then grabbed Dmitri by the collar of his shirt and lifted him off his feet.  
  
"What are you doing?" asked Dmitri.  
  
"Giving you what you deserve", said Peter. Peter began to walk towards the balcony of Dmitri's apartment while he squirmed like a dying worm, but that did nothing to aid his desperate situation.  
  
"It was the Lizard who destroyed your wife!" exclaimed Dmitri. "Not me!"  
  
"Did you think I was so dumb?" asked Peter. "On the day that you took Mary Jane away from me, I noticed a few things about Curt. His voice was different. He acted in ways I've never seen him before. Not only is his tail his primary weapon, but also he would never throw a punch at me. Then, I hear about someone breaking out of jail cell 25486- you're jail cell!"  
  
"CURSE YOU!" yelled Dmitri. "Let the demons of hell damn you in their infernal pits of doom and misery!"  
  
"Save it for the folks at the funeral home", said Peter. "For it was all thanks to someone I know to be dead". Dmitri then realized he was hanging over the railing of his balcony, and the only thing saving him from death was the super strong grip of Peter Parker. Adrenaline soaked him like the water of a shower. His body began to wiggle even more as he knew death was creeping closer.  
  
"Have mercy, Spider-Man", said Dmitri. "Do you want the accusations of J. Jonah Jameson to be true?"  
  
"I'd rather see you dead than see another bad headline about me", said Peter. He then let one finger go just for fun, and he saw Dmitri cry a cry of fear. The joy of this was exciting. The one who killed Mary Jane would be gone! Dead! Destroyed! Her death would've counted for something! She would live again!  
  
"Don't do it, Peter", said a familiar voice. Peter had just heard the voice again, for it was Uncle Ben's. Perhaps he was hallucinating. Perhaps he just wanted Uncle Ben to be back so bad that he heard his voice in his thoughts.  
  
"Please, Peter", said another voice. This voice took Peter by shock, since it was one he had not heard in his thoughts or dreams- it was the voice of Uncle Ben.  
  
"Do you want to be like me?" said another familiar voice; this time Peter recognized it as Curt Connors. "Than stop this useless killing!"  
  
"If you did it", said a voice that sounded much like his own (Peter guessed it was Ben Reilly, a.k.a. the Scarlet Spider), "you would no longer be a hero."  
  
"I don't need it, Peter", said a sweet feminine voice. This voice, unlike all the others, made Peter the most surprised- it was the voice of Mary Jane Watson-Parker. "You've given me enough happiness already". This did it for Peter. He quickly spun around and threw Dmitri against the wall. Dmitri then got down on his knees and put his hands together like he was praying.  
  
"Bless you, Spider-Man", sighed Dmitri. "Bless your soul!"  
  
"I don't think so", said Peter. "I told myself I wouldn't kill you. I'll just give you over to the police and let the courts decide how to kill you". The smile on Dmitri's face then lessened, but suddenly it became a smirk.  
  
"I guess I have no choice, then", said Dmitri. "Goodbye, poor Parker." Before Peter could blink Dmitri whipped out a gun, but it wasn't good enough for Peter's Spider sense. Peter ran up to Dmitri and twisted his arm around, but Dmitri, thirsty for revenge, fired the gun several times. However, they didn't go where Dmitri excepted- they went right into his head.  
  
Peter, worried about the police, left the body alone and swung away. He didn't feel as content as he thought he would when Dmitri died. However, he was content in another way- justice was served, and that's all Peter needed to make him happy. 


	8. Epilouge

EPILOGUE  
  
The gathering at Mary Jane's funeral was somewhat smaller than Peter had imagined, but still large enough. It was a rather depressing funeral, not only because everyone was wearing black, there was stormy weather outside, and the graveyard dim, but it was mainly depressing because of the fact that she died in cold blood, not by his side in his death bed as he imagined.  
  
One guest Peter recognized was Mary Jane's mother- he had heard a rumor that M.J's father couldn't come because he had to watch a football game on TV and couldn't miss it. Peter didn't see anyone else he recognized, besides some of Mary Jane's school friends. Peter thought that Flash Thomson would be coming, but there was no Flash. He was probably chanting away at his holy temple.  
  
"We are gathered here today to remember the life of a very special individual", said the speaker, who was really old and frail and was holding a large, black book in his hands. "This individual has touched us since birth with her amazing charm, wit, and character. Her acting ability has touched us ever since she played Cinderella in the first grade, and has just recently shined on the Broadway stage in the Lord of the Rings musical. However, being such a great person such as this is not enough to keep you safe. A man by the name of Dmitri Smerdyakov escaped from jail and brutally attacked the young Mary Jane Watson-Parker before taking her life away.  
  
"We have recently found news that Smerdyakov is dead, but God does tell us to love our enemies, and if we do not obey His commands, we may not be able to see miss Mary Jane after death. She left behind the title of loving daughter, devoted wife, and astounding actress. However, one thing we should remember in a time of suffering like this is that she is probably in a better place right now, embracing the sweet touch of our Almighty God, and swimming in the clouds with all the angels.  
  
"Please remember this when you feel sorrow for her death. If you feel sorrow for her death, then her death was for nothing. Please be happy. Be happy that she has passed to a better world than ours. This shouldn't be a gathering a death- this should be a celebration, for young Mary Jane Watson- Parker is now happily residing in heaven with all the angels, and she couldn't be happier. That is all".  
  
After the speaker had said his speech, a sad, mellow prayer was given, and a gothic girl sang a gloomy and dark song. After all those necessities were over, people were encouraged to stare at Mary Jane's casket until the end of the reception, where the casket would be buried. Peter, however, took one deep stare at the deathbed.  
  
"With great power", thought Peter, "comes great responsibility. Today, I the responsibility part is biting back. I took a great risk in marrying Mary Jane. We both took the risk. We knew that all my enemies would be after her to attack my heart, for that is the one area the cunning warrior knows to hit. Now, she is gone. But no matter what, I shall still be the man I was born to be. It is my gift. My curse. I am Spider-Man, and it is my destiny to protect the world from those who oppose it". After those thoughts stormed Peter's mind he turned back on the graveyard, never to look upon it again. Thus continued the adventures of the amazing Spider- Man.  
  
THE END 


End file.
